Watford-based stargazers are set to be in for a spectacular treat tonight, August 1, as a supermoon takes over the night sky. 

Known as the Sturgeon Moon, a supermoon occurs when a full moon is near its closest point to Earth, making it seem bigger and brighter than a usual full moon.

Tonight, the moon will be 222,000 miles from Earth, as opposed to 252,000 miles when it is at its furthest point from the planet.

The supermoon gets its name Sturgeon from the fish, as Native Americans found August to be the most common time to catch the fish. 

People in Watford can see a supermoon tonight

Those wanting to see the supermoon will need to head to a dark area, as the Royal Museums Greenwich advises: "So long as there’s not too much cloud, the full Moon will be an unmistakable white orb in the sky. This is a good opportunity to use a small telescope or a pair of binoculars to see the Moon's detailed surface, or even try taking a few interesting moon photos.

“However, you can see the Moon perfectly well with just your eyes. Seeing a moonrise just after sunset or a moonset just before sunrise will be an impressive sight, as it will appear enormous compared to the surrounding landscape.

“This is due to an optical illusion. During moonrise, the Moon looks bigger than it is because our brain doesn’t understand that the sky is a dome. It falsely projects things near the horizon to appear larger than they actually are.”

Where is best to see the supermoon in Watford?

The website Go Stargazing has a list of spots on its website that you could travel to from Watford to see the meteor shower.

You will need to travel a little distance away from the region to have the best chance of seeing the shooting stars, as the light pollution is high, area's such as Cassiobury Park and Ruislip Lido.

If you lay down or sit to watch the shower, ensure your feet are facing southeast for the best view.

Additionally, make sure to turn off phones and torches 15 minutes before to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness.